<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>memento mori by Celstese</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28025367">memento mori</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celstese/pseuds/Celstese'>Celstese</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ghosts (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>20th Century, Backstory, Family, Family Reunions, Food, M/M, Regret, Reunions, Road Trips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:35:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28025367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celstese/pseuds/Celstese</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alison Cooper reunites the captain and havers after a long journey</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Captain/Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prolouge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Set during the 20th century  a look at Havers.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy new year.I started writing this for a creative writing class but its been expanded a bit.Im looking for a beta for this if anyone is interested.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When he was a young boy, William Havers had, for a moment, died while he was learning how to swim. Though he was only gone for a short time, it left him able to see things most people <br/>couldn't even dream of. In the aftermath he gained a <br/>pair of imaginary friends, a dodo and a woolly mammoth.</p><p>The house he used to live in didn’t have any humans tied to it for some time, but that didn't mean the land was empty. It was because of these factors his family didn't panic when he asked to leave out  tea cups for creatures they couldn't see. Not because they believed he could see those things, but he wasn't telling them to leave out a cup for a ghost instead. As it was, he seemed like a perfectly normal child with no worries in the whole world. When he was in his teen years, he found himself far from home at a boarding school in Scotland. It took a while to get used to, but he managed. The people he met there all looked the same. The few friends he made were more like acquaintances in his head. So when the second world war started he decided to join up, but he didn't get the post he expected. Nonetheless, he found something worthwhile in the isolated front line.</p><p>Button House, in its long history, had some tragedies <br/>even before it became known as button house. In its many <br/>levels there were various ghosts who most of the population couldn't see. As of a result, late at night when it was quiet in the house during the war, a regency era ghost was reading poetry very loudly to himself. His name was Thomas Thorne and he could be rather boisterous at times. That wasn't always the case. Even when at some times others would prefer him to be quiet. The irony of when the lady button had complained to him was not quite lost on him. Still she couldn't help herself but at least it wasn't that time when it happened. It was sad and ironic. He was doing what he usually did alone when one of the soldiers entered the room by himself. They were still in dress, the one he had observed that belonged to Havers. His face looked stressed to the ghost poet. </p><p>Then he looked directly into him and opening his mouth came out an unusually hoarse voice saying bluntly “I can't hear anything next door. Please quiet down. Sure it's dark, but we all have to get up early, even you. I don't want to have to come back in here alright?”</p><p>What he said to himself when he came inside the waiting room was unsettling. There was something about the man that <br/>bothered him, but he couldn't figure out why. It was not that<br/>he could see him that was bugging him; whatever it was he didnt know exactly. He was helpless as he was in life when it came to the object of his affections.<br/> I was doomed to failure at this time. That man had gotten his wish in the end. I was all alone in my end for once diverging from my routine I had held for many years.</p><p>I slowly closed the door back behind me and found the captain still half undressed sitting on the bed looking worried. He looked up and facing me said, “Why did you leave out of the blue? I couldn't hear any distractions outside. You were gone for at least ten minutes.” </p><p>“Everything was perfect. I didn't know if I was hearing things since you were not hearing a voice I didn't know reading poetry really loudly. It's something you would have said if you heard that at least I'd like to think that. I guess I must have spoken longer than I thought the room I found wasn't that far.”</p><p>I sat back down on the end and then started talking once more where I had left off. “It was dark but there was definitely a man reading out loud forgetting what time it was. He must have memorized that stuff there was no lights on. The little light from the window made what he was wearing look odd, but it was probably my imagination filling in blanks. I don't think there are any pajamas that look anything like regency era trousers accompanied by a frilly blouse.” He raised his eyebrow a bit as I said that sentence.</p><p> “If hearing can get worse it would make sense if the opposite was also true right?” I said sincerely.</p><p>He chuckled slowly, interlacing our fingers once more before he responded, “Perhaps I could only hear the two of us.”</p><p>I smiled at his large narrow face and thought to myself how even not in the best of times for men like us that we had found each other was a miracle in itself. This weekend for once was quiet and we were able to fall asleep in the same room undisturbed from calls from far away.</p><p>It was early in the day when Havers had entered the room. He slowly pushed out the rough chair and sat down after setting his lunch onto the table. He slowly opened the bag and took out one single can and a spoon. He ate until there was a loud knock on the door. The door opened slowly and he was right about who it was. It was the captain on the other end. He was in uniform as always when he saw him in the morning. That was the same for everyone, but he did seem to care about his uniform a greater deal than many others. Havers finished what he was eating and said, “Hello”. The captain just said “Hello” in response. He wasn't that fond of salmon. Nonetheless they were plentiful. He sat down pulling a different chair out slowly. knowing Havers had no reason to say no. This was something they did every morning. The captain too had a bag with a can in his hands. He wasn't looking forward to that much that day. He had grown up with too much of the little buggers as a younger man. It was how his uncle made his money so he had tried every kind of salmon dish available and some that should not exist. The two of them talked between bites of food until they were done eating then went to get ready. It was time for the day to begin.</p><p>As he was staring into the bathroom mirror in the corner of the <br/>room, there was something he wasn't exactly sure was there out of his line of sight. It could have been a trick of the light, but these days being vigilant made sense more than ever. Neither sabotage or attacks were impossible these days.</p><p>William Havers turned his head and chuckled nervously at what his eyes were gazing directly upon. “That's a really good fake head.” The lights were not at their best, but he could see what shape it had. The man's head, who was stuck in the corner of the bathroom, spoke up, “Have you been dead long? I haven't met you yet. I'm Humphrey. I'd shake your hand, but as you can see I can't right now. If you see my body drag it over here will you. We get separated all the time. It's kind of annoying at this point.”</p><p>Havers didn't believe what he was hearing. He did read once sleep deprivation can make the head be overactive, “I must be tired, I'm going to go to bed”. He left the room and the head said, “Guess he's in denial. I guess I'll have to wait for Robin to come find me”. He had been lying there for hours on end and it was not the best situation to be in.</p><p>It had hit him in the middle of the night what he had been seeing in the house as he sat on the toilet. All of those things he'd been seeing weren't tricks of the light and his animal friends were not the stuff of myth.<br/> He had not been to his childhood home in years, but he had a feeling he would have more proof he wasn't going slowly insane from sleep deprivation. He could see ghosts and he didn't know how to deal with that. </p><p>Was there any way he could trust this with was the question.<br/> If anyone seemed trustworthy enough, the captain was the best option, especially considering what they were already hiding. In the end, he tried to tell him multiple times, but could never build up the proper courage while they were alive at Button House.</p><p>Overlooking where they had just buried the dangerous box, he stared as the captain smiled where he stood. The shovels, still in both of their hands, covered the metal's slick surface with dirt. The secret would stay there and they could sleep peacefully. They buried the bomb in the best place they could find on the estate. The explosions they could create in both ways should stay down there.  The two of them unanimously agreed in the end. Then, in the distance, he could have sworn he saw a very hairy man, but he discounted it to be tricks playing on his mind. The two of them talked to each other quietly and, under the arched cover of the servants' entrance, the two of them held hands for a moment before separating in the middle of the night. They didn't kiss, but they shared smiles, for that's all they needed at that time. They had already done that other stuff, but quickly after it died down. He told the captain he was leaving that night not long after and it got tense. He left under the cover of the night and he didn't know if they would meet again. Too many had died already and he hated doing nothing in his current location in the countryside.</p><p>The journey over the sea didn't take as long as he had foreseen. <br/>If that was a good thing remained unclear. Africa was not what he had expected it to be like. All around the places he went there were ghosts, many more than he normally found in England. That troubled him greatly. He sat in the dirt eating his rations among a sea of similar men. They were all equally battered and bruised, but they all got through it.</p><p>Eventually, he dies amongst a sea of other men and later finds he's become one of them. He doesn't know how to deal with it yet, but at least he still has company, even if the living can't see him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. chapter one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While out of the house shopping Alison meets a ghost</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been ages since she had been to this particular flea <br/>market, but Alison Cooper could still get around the place. Even though the people might have changed, the layout stayed the same. She came looking for a replacement frame for lady Button’s picture. The old one broke after an unfortunate accident involving an open window. It was a miracle that that's all that was hit, other than lady buttons spirit. The clean up wasn't that big of a deal, but it was a distance from where she was now. It had been a very long journey. She passed through stalls with furniture, books and art, when she saw a man in the corner of her eye who she had only seen in the picture alongside the captain in her house. He looked sad and she was sure it was Lieutenant Havers, who she'd only seen in pictures beforehand. He was so young and still in uniform. All around her were the living except for at least  one ghost who she found out of sheer chance. He was all alone. For how long she didn't know, but she would be getting him out of here and to her house. Not for her sake, but for her friends. Hopefully they still felt the same as well.</p><p>There was a bloody stain where his heart used to rest on the inside of his flat chest. She slowly made her way to where he was and found herself surrounded by watches. She sighed. She was going to have to figure out which one he was attached to. He was still wearing a battle uniform. In the back there were three watches practically identical, one of which seemed to be stuck shut. She slowly approached the man who was selling the watches and, after he lifted his sleepy head, she spoke up. The two of them talked for a short bit and with a bit of haggling she had bought the watch and left the man all by himself with the rest of the watches. He didn't understand why she wanted a broken watch, but money was money. She slowly left the  market after finding what she came for before she found the watch. Upon finding a public bathroom she quietly went inside. Then she spoke up to him plainly.</p><p>It's been many years since he found himself in this situation, but as it was at this moment having no one to talk to was the worst part of it. He was not built for solitude. At first his watch was buried with him in his grave and he had some company to spend all of his time with. It came in the form of two of his siblings and Uncle Clive who was glad to have company that he felt he could talk to. There were things he didn't feel he could tell his older sister or younger brother. Death it seemed didn't allow you to grow as much. Then there was a flood of water that disturbed the ground he was buried in. His coffin broke and he found his watch was now above ground. He was even more surprised as was his uncle who knew he wasn't going to be there for much longer. </p><p>That's how he knew for sure he was tied to it instead of his suit. <br/>When it stopped he was in the middle of the road and the watch was taken by a boy with a heavily marked face. He kept it as a paper weight for a while, leaving him with his only, if disgusting, company in an English-speaking German spy. He got over it eventually, but it wasn't what he would have wanted to deal with. He was glad when the boy got rid of his watch and was then just sitting outside surrounded by other watches for sale. The quiet was nice at first, but the longer it took, the sadder he became. </p><p>Then, one day out of the blue, a young woman actually bought it in a hurry. Something about that felt odd, but at least I was seeing things I hadn't in a while. It was still disorienting and if I could I would have thrown up. Then, when she was all alone, she spoke to me.</p><p>“I can see you. My name is Alison. I got this house when my great aunt passed away and there are lots of ghosts stuck there. The captain I think misses you. I recognized you from a photo I found. He could use some cheering so if it's okay with you<br/>I'm going to bring you back home with me.”</p><p>When he heard what she said for a moment he didn't know <br/>what to say back. What she said was wonderful. Then it hit him <br/>right there what he needed to say.</p><p>“That sounds wonderful. I've missed him as well. There's something I need to do first. This watch was in my grave at my family plot until a flood. I want see if my family's moved <br/>on yet. My Uncle isn't the best company for a small child<br/>and a teenager. Death didn't help that fact."</p><p>Alison sweat dropped a bit. </p><p>“Ok, but I'll need to refill the tank at some point. Where is it?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Moira makes an impression and meets one of Alison's ancestors by a gas station</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The two of them headed towards the parked car, neither of them talking. They were both lost in thought about what was going on. Finally, when they were both in the<br/>car and visible to each other, Alison let out a small chuckle out of sheer incredulity. If she told herself this the year before she would have thought she was high but this was actually happening. She was reuniting two old, queer ghosts, both who were sad at times for some of the same reasons.</p><p>The distance to get there did not take as long as I expected. It was a nice place and with his watch in my pocket we got out of my car. He yelled and waited for a reply as we walked our way through the large cemetery. Then out in the distance a voice grew louder until I could see a young girl running at me and head butted Havers to the ground. I guess his sister was still here after all. He got back up with joy in his eyes before speaking.<br/>“Did they pass on?”<br/>“Yeah, it's just been me for a month. I want to go with you.”<br/>I gave a thumbs up and he said “Of course you can Moira.”</p><p> </p><p>As the journey continued onwards, Alison found the company, while tiring, worthwhile. The arguments over music were terrible until she turned to the classical station. At least that didn't cause any fuss at all. As the distance grew shorter their anticipation grew. Then the car needed gas.</p><p>Alison groaned. Havers understood quickly, but Moira was confused.<br/>“What's wrong?”</p><p>“We need more gas. I'll have to make a detour so we can get to the house so we don't have to hitchhike the rest of the way.”</p><p>The station was rather small, though, the land surrounding it was much older. As Alison filled the pump with gas, I got out of the car and wandered to the back of the station to loop around it after telling my brother. Next to a dumpster I groaned. I hoped they hadn't been there long. Those clothes told a different story. They seemed to be lost in their own thoughts so I spoke up.<br/>“Sorry if I'm bothering you, but are you stuck here?”<br/>He was caught off guard but he replied quickly, “No, I'm stuck to a book that's in the store next door. I didn't think I cared about it that much to be stuck to it, but I understand why now. I wish to make amends with my cousin. I don't think I'll get the chance. ”</p><p>“That's too bad. I don't really know if I'm tied to anything. When my brother came back for me in the graveyard to see if I was alright, I just walked into the car with him and the lady who bought his watch. I guess her house has many ghosts and he was stationed there during the war so he knows someone there who he’s fond of”. Then it hit her. “I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Moira Havers and you're?”</p><p>He blinked while taking in the word vomit. “Francis Button.”</p><p>That young lady stared at me for a while. Something told me she had heard of me somehow. I didn't think I was that notable. Then she spoke, saying something that lifted up my spirits.</p><p>“Well, unless you cheated on your wife, you only have one descendant left. Her name is Alison and she bought my brother’s watch. That house I talked about I guess is your old house. From what I've heard in the car ride, if that store is open and it's in her budget, you could come with us. ”</p><p>I lost my composure "Oh my.”<br/>“Now I'm thinking about this, is your cousin a poet? It wasn't quite clear to me, but I think he might be one of the ghosts stuck in the ground. That and one of your grandkids is there at least. Maybe you can make amends.”</p><p>I was wrapped in my thoughts again when she said something that snapped me out and got proactive.</p><p>“I mean there can't be many ghosts at your old house dressed like you. After making amends you could try and get him to stop flirting with his own family. I know it's dissent and everyone's related but when she was talking about it she didn't sound happy. Plus I guess she's already married.”</p><p> </p><p>While I was telling Alison about myself I finally saw Moira come towards the car, but she wasn't alone. The poor man looked sad, but hopeful. Alison noticed the change and turned her head. Her face didn't change that much, but she did let out a small sigh. I guess she just wanted to go home and did not expect any of this when her day started.</p><p>Now the two of them were in her car. My sister spoke strangely to Alison then. “So I have some good and bad news depending on how you look at it. Good thing is he wants to apologize. Bad thing is you'll have to buy this book he's stuck to from the store next door and you might have a more upset Mr. Throne on your hands than usual.”<br/>Alison looked confused, but spoke quickly “There are only two people you could be and the other person I've found portraits of while I was at school. That means you’re...”<br/>“Francis Button. You must be my granddaughter.<br/>Mine and her brothers' wishes are not the same. The destination is the same. I want to apologize to my cousin, no matter his faults.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. epilouge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Havers reunites with the captain</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late at night when the captain decided to go out for a stroll to the lake. The rain wasn't that much of a problem for him. As he got closer to the gate's edge, he could see the back of a figure that couldn't be real. It couldn't be wishful thinking could it?</p><p>“Havers?” slowly fell out of his lips.</p><p>He turned around. “Captain, you're still here?”</p><p>It suddenly broke. It was him and he was here somehow. He ran towards the other and they were reunited for the first time in more than 50 years. They embraced each other, feeling content once more. </p><p>Then the silence was broken by a voice the captain did not know. He pulled apart from Havers and was met with the sight of Alison and two other ghosts he didn't recognize. It all clicked quickly in his head. She had found him while she was out somehow, but who were the two others?</p><p>A  young woman in a nightgown walked up to him in a sprint and spoke bluntly to him. “So, you're that captain my little brother told me about. I’d give you the talk, but that's not a problem anymore. Welcome to the family.”</p><p><br/>Havers spoke up saying, “I didn't think you'd say that Moira. Though, Ben dear, maybe we should go inside. I'm going to help do some family counseling.”</p><p>The captain looked confused. “Why?”</p><p>“The ghost that Alison was talking with while we were all wrapped up is Francis Button. This isn't the kind of thing one should have sprung upon them, even if the man feels remorseful.”</p><p>He understood perfectly well what he meant. Everything was done except for that. It was a normal day in the house once more. </p><p>We were all in the living room now. Kitty in particular seemed more happy than usual when she noticed what Havers and the captain's hands were doing. “Congratulations.” She exclaimed.</p><p>Lady's button face didn't look as happy, but at least what she spoke next was cordial. “Well I hope you're happy” Considering how she died, her mood makes perfect sense to me. I don't hold it against her.</p><p>Havers had changed throughout the years somewhat, but that was okay. Maybe I smoothed his edges as the years grew apart. Nonetheless, I love him all the same.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>